What is bromine barium?

A:

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Barium bromide is an inorganic compound with the molecular formula BaBr2. The compound is made up of a single barium ion bonded to two bromide ions with charges of positive 2 and negative 1, respectively. The overall charge of barium bromide is neutral.

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Barium bromide has a molecular weight of 297.14 grams per mole and exists as a white solid at room temperature. It has a melting point of 857 degrees Celsius. Like many other salts, it is soluble in water. Barium bromide is synthesized by reacting barium sulfide or barium carbonate with hydrobromic acid in a rapid reaction. This creates the dihydrate form of barium bromide, which can be heated up to 120 degrees Celsius to yield the anhydrous compound.

This compound is a poison that can cause gastrointestinal damage if ingested and skin and eye irritation if gloves and protective eyewear are not worn while handling it. Barium bromide is used to make other bromine-containing compounds, including chemicals used in the field of photography. In the past, barium bromide was also used by scientist Marie Curie to purify the element radium. The radium precipitated out of an aqueous solution of barium bromide, and the radium could be harvested once the solution evaporated.